Secret of a Sick Sheep
by Dr. Nusakan
Summary: Hiro has a fever and must stay home from school for a day. To make matters worse, Tohru is over to babysit his sister. What can Hiro do to relieve all the stress? Mentions of HiroxKisa. Based on a dream of mine. Posted a second time.


**Secret of a Sick Sheep**

Hiro disliked being sick.

Sure, it was nice to not have to go to school. But once you found yourself at home, confined to your room since your mother didn't want the germs spreading to your baby sister, what was there to do, really?

He was in the middle of a fever. He was really hoping that the worst of it was behind him; it was no fun being all hot and miserable. Also, transforming into a ram every so often was getting annoying. And though Hiro could lie in his room and rest all he wanted…he was still bored. So now, after about an hour of sitting in bed playing his GameBoy, and a shorter period of channel-surfing through boring daytime T.V., the young teen simply lay and on his sheets and stared upward absently. In another part of the house, he could hear his mother opening and shutting drawers in a hurry, looking for something, probably something Hinata needed. It was twelve-thirty in the afternoon. Hiro wanted lunch.

He found himself being woken up by knocks on his door and his mother calling his name. Hiro sat up, sleepily surprised at how quickly he'd become tired. "Yeah?" he called out to this mother, trying to appear more alert.

Satsuki entered the room, balancing a tray on one hand. She smiled at Hiro and placed his lunch on his desk across the room. "How are you feeling?" she asked, walking to where he sat in the middle of the bed.

"Better," he answered, though it was only half-true. He still felt kind of light-headed, though not as sweaty as he had a few hours ago.

"Did your fever go down?" She reached for his forehead, as though he was still little and needed someone to tell him he felt hot.

"Yeah," he replied, holding up his hand to block her reach. "It feels like it did, but I guess I'll take my temperature anyway, to check."

"Please do," Satsuki said. "I'm sorry you had to miss school. While you were sleeping early this morning, I called Kisa and asked her to bring over any of the work you missed today this afternoon."

Hiro blinked and then glowered. "Kisa shouldn't have to do that," he protested, looking at his mother in distress. "It's _my _responsibility! Why didn't you tell me about that?"

"I must have forgotten," Satsuki admitted. "You looked miserable at breakfast anyway, so I wouldn't have wanted you to worry about it," she tried to reason.

Hiro dropped his head onto his shoulder, letting out something between a sigh and a groan.

"Why don't you just eat your lunch," his mother suggested, rising from where she'd been perched on the edge of the bed. Hiro got up and went to sit at his desk, again reminded of how hungry he was. As she was about to leave the room, Satsuki abruptly said, "Oh, that's right! Your dad and I are thinking about going out later, so we'll probably have a babysitter here for Hinata. You should just keep taking it easy until tomorrow."

Hiro looked up from the noodles he was eating. "If Kisa's coming over, why don't you just ask her to do it?" he asked. He knew he'd feel more comfortable if Kisa was the one in charge of Hinata, rather than some dumb high-schooler who didn't know his sister at all. Not to mention that Kisa was someone familiar whom he could talk to.

"Mmm, maybe," his mother replied. "We'll see." She stepped into the hallway and quietly closed his door.

Hiro continued to eat. Afterwards he took his temperature with the digital thermometer that had been left on his bedside table. The fever that had first hit him after school yesterday was beginning to go down. He left the thermometer next to the meal tray on the desk so he could remind himself to report his temperature to his mother if she remembered to come and retrieve the tray. It was now after one-thirty, his clock-radio informed him. For the next couple of hours, he continued with the GameBoy, leaning back on his pillow with a cold cloth on his head, restlessly waiting for Kisa to arrive.

He awoke abruptly from a slight doze when he heard the front door slam downstairs, and took a moment to remind himself of what was going on. Now remembering, Hiro really wanted to get out of his room and see if Kisa had come, of if his parents had left. Also, being in his room all day made it seem rather stuffy. Walking across the room, he opened his door and stuck his head out, straining to hear any voices or sounds that would give him a clue. He was thinking about hollering (and wondering if that would really be a good idea, since he wasn't sure if Hinata was napping or not), when he heard someone running up the stairs. Then Kisa, Hiro's distant cousin, best friend, and love interest, appeared in the hallway, holding a paper folder in one hand.

She noticed Hiro right away and gave him one of her smiles. "Hi, Hiro-chan, how are you feeling?"

"Better, I guess," Hiro replied. It _was _a little true – now that Kisa was here, he sort of felt somewhat less ill. "Thanks for coming with the stuff."

Kisa came forward and handed him the folder. Trying to ignore his swiftly beating heart as she came so close (which happened quite a bit when she was nearby), Hiro opened the folder and briefly looked through the papers. Algebra problems, a short story to read and analyze, a history assignment. "Are you staying here to watch Hina?" he asked, hoping his mother had remembered to ask her about it.

"Yeah, she said I can help nee-chan take care of her while you're resting and doing homework."

Hiro nodded, satisfied, then frowned slightly. "Nee-chan?" His face immediately fell. "Tohru Honda is here?"

"Yes," Kisa admitted. "She's the real babysitter."

"But why?" demanded Hiro. "I know _you_ can take care of Hinata! I've seen it!"

"Really, it's okay," Kisa insisted. "I like having nee-chan around. And I'd probably be nervous taking care of a baby alone anyway."

Hiro was feeling sick again. He gripped the folder tightly.

"Hiro," Kisa pleaded, "please don't be mean to her. She only wants to help Hina, and you."

Hiro looked at Kisa, standing there looking back at him with her pretty eyes, she who was so beloved by him. Sometimes he wondered if she still would have those uniquely-colored eyes even if she hadn't been born into the zodiac. "Okay," he said at length, letting out a breath he'd unknowingly been holding in his frustration. "I'll try to make it work, for tonight." Not that he was actually expecting to get along with Tohru any better. "But I think I'm mostly over being sick, so she doesn't have to worry about me."

"Okay," Kisa replied with relief, and added, "But at least eat the dinner she's going to make."

A few creaks on the stairs signified Tohru's approach. The non-Sohma high-school girl stepped into the hall, carefully holding Hiro's sister. Just the sight of it started to irritate him a little. "Hi, Hiro-kun," Tohru greeted him in her usual Tohru-like way. "Are you feeling better? Your mom said you had a really high fever last night."

"Yeah, maybe," Hiro answered bluntly. "I feel better now, so you don't need to make a big deal out of it."

"Okay," Tohru replied. "But you'll still want dinner, though, right? I can't let anybody go without dinner."

"It doesn't matter," Hiro said. "I'm not supposed to go downstairs until tomorrow, when I can be near Hinata again." Actually, he was close to her right now, but not too close.

"Then I'll bring you up a tray," Tohru decided. "Let me just put Hinata down for a nap, and then Kisa-chan and I will start making something." She went on into Hinata's room.

"I…I guess I'll just start on this, then," Hiro sighed, looking down at the folder of schoolwork. He would much rather spend time with Kisa, but he didn't want her getting sick, either.

"I'll ask nee-chan to make something that you like," Kisa offered.

"Thanks," replied Hiro, turning back to his room, which was beginning to feel like a prison cell. Kisa waved to him, and he smiled at her faintly before closing his door.

Hiro passed the late afternoon and early evening sullenly, mostly by himself. He wished he could be happier, for Kisa's sake, but it was so hard when he was getting over a fever, and having Tohru around wasn't helping. At least Hina's stupid babysitter and Kisa's precious "nee-chan" had enough sense to leave him alone while he was recovering. She had brought him a meal on a tray while he was doing math problems, the assignment he'd saved for last. Though Hiro acted irritated at the interruption, he was grateful to put aside the homework and eat Tohru's well-cooked and savory fish and vegetables. She left him alone to eat, taking away the lunch tray, which he'd placed on the floor.

After he was finished, Hiro returned to his schoolwork, trying once more to shake off the recurring dizziness he felt. Staring at all the numbers in his current state was making him feel lightheaded again. He quickly finished, not really being careful about doing the equations, and stumbled to the bed. Lying there, he could indistinctly hear Kisa and Tohru doing the dishes in the kitchen – the water running, the _clink_ of plates being stacked in the cabinet, the girls chattering cheerfully all the while. Hiro turned his head to look at the clock for the hundredth time that day. It was seven-thirty. He wondered how late his parents would be out.

After a little while he heard footsteps, a knock on his door, and then Kisa was calling to him. Hiro rose, walked across the floor, and opened the door.

"I hope you haven't been too bored," Kisa said sheepishly. "Nee-chan is doing her homework now, and I'm just going to play with Hina in her room."

"Okay," said Hiro. "Um, I'll probably be going to sleep in a while…I'm kinda tired." He _was_ getting tired a little early. Also, being bored (but not bothering to admit it to Kisa), he didn't have much else to do. He really hoped he'd be completely well by morning.

"Oh, okay," Kisa said. "If I don't see you again, then good night, Hiro-chan."

Hiro smiled. He always liked the way Kisa said his name. "Good night. I'm glad you came over." He was grateful now that she'd brought his homework, and also that she hadn't left him alone with the annoying woman. As Kisa headed into Hinata's room, Hiro retreated back into his own to get ready for bed. After the usual pre-bed rituals of changing his clothes, brushing his teeth, and turning off the light, he was lying in bed in his dark room, weary but glad that the long day was just about at an end.

He lay under the sheet and thin cotton blanket for a while, trying to drift off, but finding himself restless. He could dimly hear Kisa talking to his sister in the next room. Soon enough Hinata would fall asleep herself, after she had spent some time playing.

Suddenly Hiro remembered something. He got up and crouched on his knees on the floor, peering under his bed. It wasn't as if many people came in the room – only his parents, and Kisa sometimes – but he still preferred to keep what he was looking for hidden.

He had to crawl halfway under the bed to reach them, like he always did. Back up on the mattress he arranged them in front of the bed's low footboard. _They_ were a small group of stuffed toys that Hiro didn't want anyone to know about.

Hiro knew it wasn't like him to keep such things, but he couldn't bring himself to move them somewhere else. The truth was, sometimes when he couldn't sleep, having them in view just _helped_. Most of them he'd had since he was very young, given to him by his parents. He could recall a few moments from those years, of having them on his bed when he was falling asleep. This was a long time ago, of course. There was also a stuffed tiger Kisa gave him on one birthday. That one he didn't mind having out in the open, on a shelf above his desk. He was glad Tohru hadn't noticed it, though, when she'd brought him dinner. He brought it over now and added it to the group.

This done, Hiro got back under the covers, put his head on the pillow, and sighed, feeling more relaxed when he glanced down at his secret stuffed companions. As the line between the waking world and that of the sleeping became blurred, Hiro had an abrupt thought that he was forgetting about something. He thought it over quickly, decided it couldn't be important if he couldn't remember what it was, and finally let himself sleep.

/

"Kisa, shouldn't you be getting home soon? It's almost nine."

Kisa looked up from where she was watching T.V. in the living room. "I guess I probably should," she admitted, and stood. Then she paused. "I think I left my jacket in Hinata's room."

"Oh, I'll get it for you," Tohru said quickly, heading for the stairs. "Just wait a minute."

Upstairs, Tohru tip-toed into the infant's room. Hinata had already had her evening bottle and was peacefully sleeping. With a final gentle smile on the baby, Tohru closed the door, with Kisa's white fleece coat in hand. As she turned away, she noticed that Hiro's bedroom door was open a crack; only a sliver of darkness could be seen within. Tohru stepped over to close the door, getting a closer peep inside his domain. Her hand on the doorknob, she glanced in the direction of his bed. If it wasn't for a bit of moonlight filtering through the window blinds, she wouldn't have been able to see anything. But because of it, she could see Hiro sleeping contentedly on his back, completely under the covers except for his head and shoulders.

Tohru smiled to herself. He really was a good kid, protective of those he cared for, and very intelligent, too. He just needed to be more tolerant of people sometimes, she knew. It was a good thing Hiro was asleep; she wouldn't have wanted him to accuse her of spying or something.

Thinking she saw a strange shape at the foot of the bed, Tohru looked again. What she saw gave her a great deal of surprise – Hiro had a collection of stuffed animals there! How cute was that?

She was sure they hadn't been there before – all she'd seen was a stuffed tiger on Hiro's shelf earlier, maybe having something to do with his affection for Kisa. At the moment it was sitting among the other stuffed animals on the bed. Tohru knew how Hiro felt about discussing his feelings for Kisa, and because he was also sick and somewhat cranky, she'd thought twice about saying something about the toy tiger. But now, it seemed he was more fond of stuffed toys than she would have guessed. It was just so _sweet_! Tohru wondered if Kisa knew about this. Leaving the boy's door open just slightly, she hurried back downstairs.

Kisa was waiting in the living room, looking out a window. The shadows of the oncoming night were lit by lampposts that cast their glow on the paths covering the Sohma compound. "Kisa," Tohru exclaimed as she approached her, "I was just about to close Hiro's door – it was still open a tiny bit – and I saw the most adorable thing!"

/

Kisa walked back upstairs behind Tohru. Half of her didn't believe what she'd just been told. But at the same time, the thought of it was so cute that she really wanted to see it. And Nee-chan wouldn't lie, anyway.

Holding her breath, Kisa reluctantly peeked into Hiro's bedroom. Her eyes followed the trail of light from the window to his bed. There he was, sleeping…and _there_ was a bunch of stuffed animals! She stared for a few seconds in surprise, and then withdrew back, a few steps closer to where Tohru was standing.

"Wow, you're right," Kisa whispered, and giggled softly, the older girl joining in. They stood there, trying not to laugh too loudly, until finally, quietly, Tohru fully closed Hiro's door.

"I can't believe it," Kisa continued. "I thought the only stuffed toy he had is that tiger I gave him."

"Oh, I thought you might have given him that," nodded Tohru.

"I think we shouldn't tell anyone about this – you know, Hiro having stuffed animals," said Kisa as they moved toward the stairs. "He'd be mad if he knew anyone knows. And we shouldn't tell him that _we_ saw it, either," she added.

"All right," Tohru agreed as they arrived back at the first floor of the house. "I can understand that. We'll keep his secret."

/

Hiro woke up the next day feeling much better. He wasn't at all uncomfortable with his temperature, and any haziness or sluggishness he'd had previously was gone. Feeling somewhat more energized, he began to get prepared for school, first putting the stuffed toys back under his bed, of course. His parents were happy to see that his illness was past, and that Hinata seemed unaffected. Outside he joined Kisa, who was waiting for him, and they walked to school together, as usual. Kisa also seemed cheered by the fact that Hiro was well. And so life fell back into its regular routine.

When school ended he and Kisa exited the building, only to see Tohru Honda standing at the front gate. Hiro, dismayed, couldn't help but let a small groan escape his throat. _What_ could she possibly want?

Kisa, of course, was delighted. "Hi, nee-chan," she greeted as they came near Tohru.

"Hello, Kisa-chan, Hiro-kun," Tohru smiled. "Hiro, I'm so glad to see you're feeling better!"

"Yeah," Hiro replied dully. At a prodding look from Kisa he begrudgingly put in, "Thanks for watching Hinata last night."

"Oh, you're welcome," Tohru said pleasantly, then suddenly added, "Oh, I have something for you."

"Huh?" Hiro asked, at once annoyed and curious.

"Just a little thing for you, since you just got over your fever," she replied, stooping to open her school bag. She reached in, then stood up and presented him with a very small stuffed white bear. Hiro stared at it, utterly overwhelmed, with a weird feeling beginning to rise in his chest.

"Oh, it's so cute!" exclaimed Kisa from beside him. "What do you think, Hiro?"

Hiro slowly took the present into his hands. What was the dumb woman thinking when she picked this out? He had the desperate urge to hide it from the other schoolkids walking out through the gate, and prayed none of them were seeing this.

For Kisa's benefit, Hiro managed, "…thanks, I guess." Then he abruptly exclaimed, "Why did you pick _this_, out of anything?"

"You're welcome. Well, I was thinking about you on my way here," Tohru explained, "and I passed this gift shop with a bunch of little bears in the window. I thought getting you one was a perfect idea."

Why? Hiro's mind yelled. "You shouldn't have wasted your money," he retorted, a bit unsettled by Tohru's answer to his question.

"Oh, no, Hiro, it was nothing," she insisted. While Hiro continued to stare at the bear, Tohru gave Kisa a quick wink. Kisa covered her mouth and smiled, knowing exactly how nee-chan had gotten this idea. It wasn't as though they were letting Hiro know his secret was out, not _really_.

"Let me walk you two part of the way home," Tohru suggested.

"Sure," Kisa agreed.

"Uh…you don't need to do that," Hiro said absently. He couldn't quite muster the energy to sound scornful. Something about the gift was bothering him.

There was just no way that either of the girls could have found out about the collection of stuffed toys he possessed. Last night he'd gotten them out only after he was alone and surrounded by the dark of his room.

"Please, Hiro?" asked Kisa in her dear way that always won him over.

"Fine."

Hiro wondered, as they started walking down the sidewalk, what he was going to do with this thing. Could he really keep it, knowing it was from _her_? Should he just give it to his sister? Actually, Kisa might not like that last idea…she'd see him as an ungrateful jerk if she found out…

Then a sudden chill swept through Hiro. He'd just thought of a question that, to his horror, he couldn't remember the true answer to.

_Didn't I lock my door last night?_

**This really was based on a dream I had once; I remember, in the dream, it was Tohru and/or Kisa who peeked into Hiro's room and saw him and the stuffed toys. I know it's awfully uncharacteristic of him, but everyone has secrets, right? :-) Also, I've only read the first six volumes and seen the anime, so I've only read about Satsuki and Hinata on Wikipedia. I'm not sure how in character I made Satsuki; probably not absent-minded enough, but I tried.**

**Writing about Hiro is fun. I might do it again sometime…**


End file.
